When digital printing debuted, it brought print buyers the novelty of "print-on-demand," and gave printers a new, quick-turnaround alternative to traditional offset printing. But, digital printing started out with very few of the binding and finishing amenities offered in profusion by traditional offset printing channels. Instead, digital printing was initially focused on sheets. True, digitally printed sheets could be had in a hurry -- maybe even collated and stapled. But anything needing more finishing than that required running the job through a bindery, typically an in-house bindery department in larger offset shops, or a trade binder somewhere down the street. But, digital printers soon found that trade binderies took more time to finish jobs than they’d had to print them.

　　According to a recent report by Trendwatch Graphic Arts, entitled: “Digital Postpress: The Convergence Has Begun,” buyers of digital printing services now want fast, one-stop, on-demand printing and finishing.1 Customers expect speedier service in delivery of finished products. But, the report points out, the up-front bottleneck that digital printing eliminated from print-production now puts back-end job pressure on finishing. Short-run digitally printed jobs now come to the bindery in rapid sequence, and that requires more finishing equipment changeovers and shorter cycle times. According to the report, providing post-press finishing services that accommodate customers' needs for fast turnaround service is becoming the new key to success for digital printers.

　　The Trendwatch report also notes that, by 2007, the number of printing firms having digital color presses will increase by 230%, while the number of digital color press units within these firms will soar by more than 569%. Smaller printers, rather than larger, will be the primary users by 2007.

　　From a printer-to-printer competitive standpoint, adding efficient bindery solutions in-house confers the capability to differentiate by breadth of services and to market differently from others who offer less in the way of finishing. If their service stops with sheets (which must then go through off-premises bindery to be made into finished products), the digital printer with in-house bindery can offer a faster-turnaround, lower-cost workflow with all-inclusive service: from the press, through finishing, to product delivery. The time and cost savings of such a workflow can be formidable competitive weapons.

　　The New Digital Printing Model

　　Digital printing, as used here, refers to two print processes. First, the toner or inkjet-based sheetfed or web presses that print with an electrostatic process, rather than from plates. Second, the direct-imaging (DI) press, which prints offset ink images with plates digitally imaged on the press. DI presses are every bit as “digital” in data-handling character as their electrostatic cousins, but they are fast-makeready, specialized offset presses, typically used for printing from several hundred to 25,000 identical products. On the other hand, high-turnover short-run jobs are the principal province of the electrostatic presses. So, too, are “variable-data” runs, since the content these print is re-imaged with every revolution of the cylinder. Thus, these presses really serve separate purposes and distinct markets. But their output still needs finishing. Regardless of press type, the new model of digital printing services is merging "press" and "post-press" into a single workflow.

　　But getting to that model takes a strategy. The choices boil-down to three and no single solution will fit every digital printer’s situation or job-mix. They are: (1) add in-line finishing to the in-house print production line; (2) add near-line (off-line, but in-house) finishing in an adjacent area of the plant; or (3) make far-line (off-line, located elsewhere) finishing arrangements with trade binders or other printers with in-house binderies. This latter choice is probably the least desirable, because of transport delays to and from the bindery and being delayed in the bindery because of longer-run jobs.

　　Digital printers will likely face some competition from present customers by 2007. The Trendwatch report notes that the number of corporate design departments having digital color presses will then grow by over 323%. Sources predict that office-based digital copiers will increasingly be equipped to accept some forms of finishing equipment, as businesses seeking to cut outside costs opt to produce short-run digitally printed-and-finished jobs themselves. One source observes that many corporate printing jobs only go out to commercial printing shops these days because of the finishing requirements.

　　So, if office-based digital finishing continues to grow in capabilities and sophistication, more jobs will likely wind-up being done in-house. One way digital printers can compete for those jobs is to offer attractively priced, high-performance, fast-turnaround finishing bundled into their services, so as to make finishing equipment add-ons to office-based systems seem less attractive or too expensive.

　　In-line or Off-line?

　　The choice isn’t necessarily easy, nor can either be considered generally applicable to all printing situations. Finishing equipment for off-line use presently out-numbers in-line solutions. In fact, the bulk of digital printing work to date, has been finished off-line. This typically generates more waste, due to handling, and requires more time to complete a job, due to transporting. Yet, off-line finishing can prove to be the better fit in running some kinds of jobs. The press can finish one job and go right on to the next without having to be “idled,” as happens when in-line finishing is being changed-over for the next job.

　　Many digital printers also do conventional offset work, as well. Off-line bindery is well-suited to offset job volumes. However, with rising numbers of short-run digital jobs, a shared off-line bindery in such a combined shop may wind-up trying to serve two masters, with scheduling conflicts and the chaos of interruptions the inevitable result.

　　In-line finishing seems to be gaining an edge in popularity right now, because printers believe it automates the transfer and finishing process, and so, prevents handling damage to sheets. It also requires no transporting of sheets between print and finishing sites and allows a single operator to run the entire line. This provides for better quality management of the process. The operator can spot a printing or finishing defect in-process, stop the line and correct it before it ruins the salability of the entire run.

　　But, in-line finishing of digitally printed material has a down-side, too. There are physical problems associated with static electricity; a tendency to scuff, mark, scratch and crack toner-printed materials; and there are differences in running speeds between digital presses and finishing equipment. Earlier in-line finishing units also had incompatible data interfacing and could not easily link to a digital press or collator. Improved in-line finishing equipment is now arriving, equipped with universal interfaces, the ability to handle papers of lighter weight, and the capability to produce complete, finished booklets of 8-to-148-pages. The interfacing compatibility problem is being addressed with the introduction of UP3i, the Universal Printer Pre-and-Post-Processing Interface, developed by a consortium of digital printing and finishing equipment manufacturers. This interface facilitates data communication between the press and finishing devices. Although still subject to formal standardization and adoption, it is presently supported by Duplo, Hunkeler, IBM, Oce and Xerox. Once formalized, UP3i will go a long ways towards facilitating operation of a variety of finishing devices.

　　But as digital print engines increase in speed, finishing can still be a bottleneck. We’ll take a look at that next week.

　　The Finishing Touch For Digital Printing (Part 2)　

　　September 8, 2003 -- Last week George Whalen told us how finishing options are beginning to address the unique needs of digital printing. This week we look at some examples of how finishing is working for some shops and what finishing tools print providers are planning to add to their arsenals.

　　The Need for Speed

　　Finishing system manufacturers are increasingly producing equipment aimed squarely at the digital market. Because digital printing jobs tend to be short runs, finishing technology for it must have simple handling, fast changeover, little downtime, and minimum waste Yet, despite other changes wrought by the digital revolution, digitally printed products, like their conventional offset equivalents, still require finishing by largely mechanical methods.

　　The TrendWatch report notes that bindery and finishing equipment geared to digital printing continues to be “a work in progress.” Most bindery equipment now on the market was designed to fit the speed and volume characteristics of traditional offset presses. A 20-minute-long setup time may be acceptable in preparation for a 10,000-sheet job, but it’s not for a 100-500-sheet digitally printed job. Vendors are addressing the need for fast-makeready short-run finishing equipment, but it’s still early in the game.

　　There are, as yet, relatively few system choices for short-run binding of digitally printed books, perhaps because such jobs present some peculiar “what if?” possibilities. For example, might a short-run binding job ever involve producing a single bound book? The answer is “yes.” And, what if that one book binding job is to be followed by binding one copy of a different book? How could the changeover be made quick and cost-effective? And how can costs be recovered? Other issues include: imposition, adhesive used, binding variations, covers, spine preparation, trimming and grain direction.

　　The many possibilities that short-run work presents create real challenges to designing short-run binding systems that fit the market’s needs and are affordably priced. New products have been impressive and as advances in design continue, more choices of cost-effective binding systems will be available to digital printers.

　　How Digital Printers Are Using In-House Finishing Solutions

　　Among the digital printing operations now offering in-house finishing services are pure digital printing shops, as well as combined offset-and-digital printing plants. Having finishing services immediately at hand, under the same roof, builds significant time-savings into production that can give greater flexibility in service and pricing. However, to maintain high equipment utilization, marketing and sales efforts must always emphasize the firm's ability to "do it all." It is by no means taken for granted by customers that finishing services are now part of a digital printing job. The market needs to be re-educated, one customer at a time.

　　UK printer 1st Byte is in the vanguard of those who have brought finishing in-house to speed turnaround time. Finishing is the most critical stage in electrostatic digital printing because the dry toner is inclined to crack when folded, and because static electricity affects finishing speeds. The company invested in Horizon booklet making and binding lines as the equipment's extensive automation allows quick configuration from a central set-up unit. 1st Byte also purchased a Morgana AutoCreaser, which overcomes problems with cracking through the use of high pressure, and a blade and matrix device that weakens fibers in the paper so that it can be folded without the toner bond being affected. The company's policy is always to crease work from its Xeikon press before folding (due to static electricity issues), though it finds its Indigo press free of such problems.

　　USA printer Accu-Copy is situated in Greenvile, North Carolina, an isolated rural area where time and distance constraints make it impossible to send jobs out for finishing. The company uses three Xerox DocuTech 6155s and two Heidelberg Digimaster 9110s to complement five Heidelberg Printmaster sheetfed presses, a half-web, a two-color perfector, and an envelope press. The company does not use in-line bindery equipment, preferring to take jobs from their digital and offset presses and finish them off-line. With its in-house capability, Accu-Copy recently produced 4,000 finished copies of a complex book from files received the very same day. The finishing department has a Standard BQ-240 perfect binder for short run jobs, a Muller-Martini perfect binder, and a Wohlenberg three-knife trimmer. High-speed punches from James Burn and Sickinger permit Wire-O, plastic coil, and GBC binding. One, two, and three-tower Standard Horizon MC-8 collators, one with stitching, folding and trimming, and another with offset stacking augment a two-tower Standard Horizon VAC 100 collator with ST-40 stacker, SPF-20 stitcher/folder and FC-20 trimmer.

　　What Digital Printers Plan To Buy

　　Finishing is such a large category of services that any picture of what digital printers plan to buy needs to be painted with a broad brush. In its survey database, TrendWatch has tracked digital printers’ planned bindery investments by type of equipment. That information is presented in some detail within the earlier-described TrendWatch report. It should be noted that a number of digital printers surveyed indicated they would not be investing in these finishing functions. This could mean that they presently have bindery capabilities, or that they do not presently have the need to purchase bindery equipment. Among those who do plan to buy, Table 1 shows the “top 5” equipment types that digital printers plan to invest in. Laminating equipment heads the wish-list, and so earns a numerical ranking of “1.” Other categories through “5” are still quite popular, but not mentioned as often.

　　Table 1. Digital Printers’ Top 5 Must-Buy Ranking of Bindery Equipment

Based on Data from TrendWatch Graphic Arts Report “Digital Postpress: The Convergence is Underway,” June 2003

　　A Finishing Solutions Sampler

　　Digital printers have diverse finishing needs because of their different job mixes. At the same time, an immense variety of finishing solutions is offered by the many manufacturers in the finishing sector. The following sampling of newly available solutions from well-known finishing equipment suppliers has been assembled with a view toward suggesting to printers where their specific finishing needs can be satisfied.

　　Autobond's Sheetmaster 74 AT aqueous/thermal laminator offers a low-cost way to bring laminating in-house. It is a laminator for those who want the flexibility of using a range of film substrates, such as water-based film, acetate or metallised polypropylene. Those buying the dual purpose Sheetmaster 74 AT version can also use thermal film. This means that a printer can, for example, use water-based film where cost is an issue or a biodegradable film where environmental factors are a consideration.

　　M.B. Bauerle's automatic, computer-aided folding machinery comes with the most-needed fold types pre-programmed in its software; other folds can be added. So, repeat-job folds can be selected as needed. Digital printing systems can be coupled to Bauerle folders, such as the CAS 52 POD system, to form special finishing and book lines.

　　Baum has launched the new Flexifold folding system and QuickAir air/vacuum feed collator, with many extra features.

　　Baumfolder Corp has developed an attachment for its tabletop folder that turns it into a standalone perforator, slitter and scorer.

　　C.P. Bourg, whose finishing solutions are often linked with Xerox engines, indicates that digital is driving new growth in perfect binding. With Xerox Corporation, it has introduced Super Book Factory, which automatically in-line-folds a 12-inch x 19-inch sheet of paper into an eight-page signature.

　　Duplo has developed new programmable collators and what it claims to be the first intelligent finishing machine, the Docucutter DC-545Hc, designed for mono and color digital print output. It can adjust and compensate for shifts of image, improving productivity for color document finishing. It is equipped with a new automatic feeder and, in one pass, is said to be able to slit, trim and crease with high accuracy. Duplo has also developed a machine that handles cut sheet forms that have been digitally printed.

　　Frieheim International's fully automated Bielomatik Bookmaster 360 is claimed to make the production of hard-cover short-run books cost-effective. The company is also is offering an in-line cooling tower that can shorten the glue curing time in binding lines.

　　Graphic Wizard's GW 12000 perforator/slitter/scorer/numberer is said to work at very high production speeds.

　　Heidelberg's Probinder is claimed to be the first machine to support fully automatic wire-comb binding for books on demand, and can handle 2-200 A4, 80 gsm pages, up to a maximum thickness of 2cm. The Probinder produces the correct wire comb from a single wire for each, individual book. This eliminates the need to store pre-produced wires of different thicknesses. There is no makeready as the Probinder adjusts automatically to the correct document thickness. It is suitable for both digital and small format offset printing and is available in three models: In-line, Nearline and Off-line. Probinder In-line can be integrated with a Heidelberg Digimaster 9100 digital press to produce documents that are ready for immediate dispatch, while with the Nearline version, data is forwarded from the digital press to the binder via the digital workflow. Heidelberg's innovative ST400 modular saddle stitching system also is said to offer great potential for exploiting integrated job definition format (JDF) workflows.

　　Horizon's i2i Net-Work-Flow offers a means of networking a variety of remote finishing processes. The Horizon StitchLiner presents a simpler, automated way to stitch books, taking flat sheets straight from the press. The AFC brings automated knife and buckle combination folding.

　　Hunkeler's strategy is to form collaborations with world-respected brands. Its products include a toner dust suction unit that can be combined with a Xerox DocuTech 850; an ambient air humidifier; and a paper web dust removal unit. The company specializes in combination options, such as its Oce Hunkeler Newspaper Line, featuring a Hunkeler merger feeding into an MBO folder. The line is designed for on demand newspaper printing. The company has also exhibited an HP Indigo w3200 linked to a variety of Hunkeler in-line finishing options.

　　MAN Roland's latest perfect binding machine is the Champion S 7000, capable of producing 7,000 books/hour, using all automatic makeready features. It can also be set up to automatically program the book's height and spine.

　　Morgana's Digifold adds a folding device to its AutoCreaser, allowing simple, but sophisticated control of creasing digital print.

　　Muller Martini's Amigo Digital perfect binder is designed for the short-run (even single-copy) finishing market. Muller Martini has been equipping its CIP3/4 perfect binding models to accept digital data entered at the prepress stage, to set the parameters of the machine job to job. The company's top-of-the-line system is the Corona, capable of cycling at from 12,000-18,000/hour. Advances in gathering are also offered by Muller Martini. The Horizon BQ-460 BookExpress binder is said to increase productivity. It includes a tower that collates and stacks books before turning them to pass through the three knife trimmer. An automated suction cover feeder adds another boost in productivity.

　　Roll Systems has released a solution that links a digital press to an IBIS saddle stitcher to offer a complete in-line book making system. The roll-to-sheet system connects any high speed IBM, Oce or Xerox digital press with IBIS' flagship Digi-stitcher DST2 saddle stitcher. The Roll Systems solution is said to deliver square sheets with even spacing. It comprises a Roll Systems quick change Unwinder to feed the printer and a Roll Cutter to sheet printed output. The Roll-to-Sheet System connects to the Digi-stitcher in two configurations, one dedicated to producing saddle-stitched books, the other allowing alternate non-stitched sheet delivery.

　　Standard Finishing is offering a high-speed production perforator and demonstrating the Horizon StitchLiner and SpeedVAC collator, as well as a single-clamp perfect binder and a roll-to-sheet feeder. Trade binderies and printers are looking for perfect binding machines that are automated and computerized in order to eliminate mis-binds of wrong signatures. Standard Finishing's CABS (computer aided binding system) 5000 in-line perfect binder is designed as a high volume machine for short run work and includes an MG-60H gatherer, an SB-15 fifteen-clamp perfect binder and an HT-1000 three- knife trimmer.

　　Technifold's Tri-Creaser Deluxe offers an improved means of scoring, especially for thick stocks and digitally printed materials.

　　Watkiss Automation's new Automatic SpineMaster technology produces square-spined booklets that can be printed on the spine. The SpineMaster thus transforms traditional stitch-fold books into more easily packed and stacked square-back booklets. The Watkiss DigiVac collator feeds sheets from beneath the stack, eliminating downtime for reloading bins.

　　Wohlenberg's Champion E Quickbinder is designed to serve digital book bindery needs and is said to require just 15 minutes changeover time to adjust the entire line.

[时间：2003-11-17  作者：Bisenet  来源：Bisenet]